Against all accepted wisdom, I'm hoping to complete my first Marathon and Liz her fifth (but first in New York, a city which has special memories for us). 

As my family and friends will testify, the idea of any exercise for me before I met Liz was laughable, so the terror of doing a Marathon together far exceeds any excitement. 

Running the race also offers us the chance to donate to Awamu in Uganda, a charity Liz knows well and a country she has visited extensively due to her work for The Guardian and which I was also lucky enough to visit in 2007 with Christian Aid. This money will go directly to helping orphans and vulnerable children in the slums of Kampala attend school and develop their futures (as well as their mothers) which, as the son of two teachers - and brother of two more - serves as extra motivation to finish the race. 

[JustGiving bit: your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.]